Pen holder



Jan. 30, 1934. B. w. HANLE 1,945,271

PEN HOLDER Filed May 28, 1931 Patented Jan. 30, 1934 'rAr UNETED PENH'OLDER Benjamin W. Hanle, Elizabeth, N. J., assignor to Eagle PencilCompany, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application May 28,1931. Serial No. 540,612

3 Claims.

This invention relates to pen holders for use with desk sets and whichare adapted to support a pen in different angular positions. Among theobjects of the invention is to produce a pen holder 5 of the kind towhich reference has been made but which is characterized by simplicityin construction without sacrifice of the desirable qualities ofdependability and good appearance.

Gther objects and advantages involved in the construction andcombination of parts will appear in the specification and in the claimsthereof, setting forth preferred embodiments of the invention which maybe fully understood from the detailed description and drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a perspective View of a device embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of a device comprising a pen holder and itssupport.

Fig. 3 is a partial assembly View of the pen holder and support shown inFig. 2.

Figs. 4, 5, 6 and I show the pen holder, the sleeve, the socket memberand shank, and the ball support member, respectively, of the deviceshown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 shows a second form of the device.

In Fig. 1 I have shown a base 10 which may be made of marble or ofanyother material such as is customarily used to support the pen holdingmeans of the kind that is generally used with desk sets. Thepen-supporting device comprises a supporting member 11 having a boltportion 11 and stem 12. The stem extends from the head of the bolt andcarries at its end a ball 13. The ball 35 supports a socket member 14which is in the form of a cup designed to fit over a portion of theoutside surface of the ball. It is preferable that the cup portion beshaped. in such a manner that a large portion of its inner surface willcontact with the surface of the ball. The lower edge of the socketmember extends beyond the center of the ball, as shown in Fig. 2, and itis preferable that resilient material be used in the skirt portion sothat its lower edge may slip over the diameter of the ball. In order ofacilitate the expansion of the edge of the skirt of the socket memberwhen the socket member and the ball are engaged or disengaged, it isdesirable that the skirt be slotted as at 15. The slots divide the skirtinto a plurality of extensions or fingers 16 which individually graspthe ball.

For increasing the friction between the inner surface of the socketmember 14 and the surface of the ball 13, I provide a sleeve member 1'?which is adapted to snugly engage with the outside surfaces of thefingers 16 when the socket member is in position upon the ball, (Fig.3). This sleeve member 17 affords a means for increasing the frictionbetween the socket member and the ball and for locking the ball withinthe socket member As may be seen in Fig. 3, the lower edge of the sleevemember rests upon the shoulders of beads 18 which are at the edges ofthe extensions 16 of the socket member. By forcing the sleeve memher toa lower position the ends of the extensions below the center of the ballmay be forced inwardly toward one another in the manner illustrated inFig. 2. This may be brought about by turning down a nut on the shank 118against the end of the sleeve member. 7Ov

As shown in Fig. 2 I have utilized the pen holder 19 as a nut. For thispurpose the pen holder 19 been provided with a tapped hole 22 forengaging the threaded shank 188 which is carried by the socket member14. The engaged relation of the threaded shank and the nut or pen holderdetermines the tightness of the engagement between the socket member andthe ball.

In Fig. 8 I have illustrated a practical embodiment of my inventionwhich does not include the use of means for positively locking thesocket member and ball together. But in View of the flexible nature ofthe material of the socket member and its shape, a satisfactory grippingrelation may be obtained between the socket memher and the ball. Whenthe socket member and the ball are to be disengaged, the extensions 23will flex as their extremities pass over the diameter of the ball. Forimparting a desired amount of pressure a sleeve member 25 may be used.Because of the reducing shape of the sleeve member, the extensions 23will be caused to more firmly engage the surface of the ball as thesleeve member is pressed into engagement with the socket member in adirection longitudinal of the shank 26.

The device illustrated in Fig. 8 is provided with a nut 27 to which isaffixed the pen holder 28. This construction relieves the pen holderfrom wear incident to sliding contact with the sleeve 25 and obviatesthe necessity of tapping the .hole within the pen holder.

It is apparent that the friction contact between the socket member andthe ball may be adjusted to any desired degree. For ordinary purposes itis only necessary that the relation be such as to support the pen andpen holder in any angular position it might be left by a user. While thedevices herein shown and described are admirably adapted to fulfill theobjects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intendedto confine the invention to the forms of embodiment herein described,for it is susceptible of embodiment in various forms all coming withinthe scope of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A device adapted for supporting a pen comprising a ball, meanssupporting said ball, a socket member engaging said ball, said socketmember having a plurality of extensions separated by slots and extendingbeyond the center of said ball, beads at the lower edges of saidextensions, a shank extending from said socket member, a nut mountedupon said shank, and a member bearing upon said socket member andengaged at opposite ends by said bead and nut.

2. A device adapted for supporting a pen comprising a ball, meanssupporting said ball, a socket member engaging said ball, said socketmember being shaped to engage the periphery of said ball and extendingbeyond the center of said ball, a bead along the edge of said socketmember, a threaded shank extending from said socket member, a nutmounted upon said threaded shank, and means intermediate said nut and.socket member, said last named means being in engagement with the beadfor flexing the lower portion 01 said socket member.

3. A device for frictionally supporting a pen in different. angularpositions, comprising a base, a ball supported from said base, a socketmember in the form of a spring metal cup fitting over a semi-sphericalportion of said ball, said cup v BENJAMIN W. HANLE.

